Gender Criticism in Literature

Paper Summary:

This paper compares and contrasts the different approaches each author takes to time passing and human mortality and explores how their differences in gender are reflected in their different approaches to these aspects of life. The paper explains how Marvell's approach to death and the passage of time reveals how men attempt to defy time with sexuality, while Rossetti's approach reflects women's acceptance of time?s passing and the fact that the flesh is transient.

From the Paper:

"When examining the poem "To his Coy Mistress" by Andrew Marvell, in comparison to the poem "When I am dead my dearest" by Christiana Rossetti one can see that, although both explore a similar theme of the transience of human sexual life and physical, romantic love in the face of mortality each poet approaches this theme in very different ways, based on the gendered approaches of each author towards sexual congress and religious faith. At first, it might seem to be unfair to compare the male Cavalier poet with the Victorian member of the Oxford Movement Christina Rossetti. Marvell lived an active life as a court poet, soldier, and adventurer. Rossetti lived a quiet and retiring life at home, as did most women of her day, although she was intimately involved in the pre-Raphaelite movement spearheaded by her brother, Dante Gabriel Rossetti. (Marsh, 1995)"

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